The market for electronic devices is growing continuously. At present, an increased use of electronic devices can be seen especially in motor-vehicle construction. The electronic devices are in this case equipped with processor systems having higher and higher clock frequencies, in order to meet the increasing power requirements of the devices. The problems of electromagnetic interference (EMI) and the energy losses in the form of heat also increase, however, with the clock frequency.
EMI refers to malfunctions of an electronic component of a device caused by the energy in the form of electromagnetic radiation emitted by another electronic component. In many fields, such as, for example, in motor vehicles, the malfunctions can lead to safety-critical situations. In order to avoid such malfunctions, the components are separated from one another by electromagnetic shielding devices.
An electromagnetic shielding is often realised as a device having a plurality of parts. Such a device comprises, for example, a frame, which laterally surrounds the component attached to a printed circuit board acting as substrate, and also a rigid lid, which is attached to the frame and covers the top side of the component facing away from the printed circuit board.
When attaching the lid to the frame, it should normally be ensured that the top side of the component does not project beyond a top side of the frame. In order to reliably preclude a projection of the component beyond the top side of the frame despite tolerance-related height variations when attaching the component to the printed circuit board (e.g. in the context of a reflow process), a projection of the top side of the frame beyond the top side of the component is customarily accepted in the prior art. Owing to the height difference resulting therefrom, a gap is formed between the component and the lid of the electromagnetic shielding device. In order to guarantee sufficient dissipation of the heat emanating from the electronic component, the gap is thermally bridged by a heat-conducting medium (e.g. a heat-conducting paste).
What goes against the described structure of electronic component, heat-conducting medium and electromagnetic shielding device is the requirement for ever-greater reduction of the overall height of the electronic devices while increasing the power.